Yan Shaoheng sighed helplessly, his warm fingertips brushing away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
He longed to be with her as soon as possible, but his body—
Yan Shaoheng could only pretend not to understand what she meant, and leaned down to gently take her hand. "Jing Shu, don't worry, Yan Chuan City will issue an edict in the next few days. At that time, Yan Kingdom will be ours, you will be the only empress of Yan Kingdom, and Xiao'er will be the crown prince."
Chen Jingshu stared into his eyes, which were slightly red, as if she were unwilling and desperate.
The words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.
She knew he had always understood what she meant.
But she didn't understand why Yan Shaoheng treated her this way.
Don't you love yourself?
He could have married and taken concubines long ago, and let the mother and son die in the Moon Kingdom.
Chen Jingshu looked at the man in front of her. Although he was middle-aged, he still had the youthful arrogance and was as handsome as ever. His every move exuded composure and dignity.
As for myself, after just a few days of torment, I have already lost my former glory.
Even the wrinkles around her eyes have increased.
"Mother, don't worry. Father has been unmarried for so many years, how could he possibly take a concubine now?"
Yan Zhixiao revealed a sly smile and raised an eyebrow at the two of them.
"You're always so irresponsible. You're not young anymore. Why don't you take a few more concubines so that your father and I can hold our grandchildren soon?"
Thinking about her son's illness, Chen Jingshu's eyes became dull and her brows furrowed slightly.
There was no blame in his words.
The surroundings became instantly quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Yan Zhixiao felt nervous; his fingers trembled involuntarily, and his palms began to sweat.
His eyes darted around, then fixed on his father, his gaze filled with unspoken tension.
Yan Zhixiao tried to get his father to help him cover up his past.
"Don't worry, once I'm done with this busy period, Xiao'er can choose any young lady in the world. Now, sit down and have a good meal with my son and me."
His gentle voice was low and deep, his movements were light as he brushed her hair, his gaze was tender and indulgent, and he gently pressed her down onto the stool.
The three of them ate dinner with their own thoughts on the matter.
After dinner, Yan Zhixiao returned to his own courtyard, creating some time alone for his mother.
"Shaoheng, would you like to stay at my place tonight?"
Chen Jingshu brewed a cup of tea and placed it beside Yan Shaoheng, then placed her hands on his broad shoulders.
"Jing Shu's hands are just as good as they were back then."
His muscles gradually relaxed, as if all the pressure from the past few days had been released.
Yan Shaoheng gently patted the hand on his shoulder a few times. "Jing Shu, you should go back and rest early. I still have some state affairs to attend to."
Chen Jingshu paused, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at him, before a hint of anger crept onto her face.
She stared intently at him, her brow furrowed, and a few glistening tears rolled down her cheeks.
Yan Shaoheng frowned, lowered his head, and clenched his fists, his heart filled with overwhelming guilt.
He wanted to hold her hand in his heart, and once he ascended the throne, he would tell her about his helplessness.
But she shook him off.
Chen Jingshu's eyes were red, and she looked at the person in front of her with a mixture of grief and indignation.
At this moment, Yan Shaoheng in front of her was a stranger to her.
At this moment, she was absolutely certain that Yan Shaoheng loved her.
He simply loved her from the past, the young her.
She slammed the door shut and disappeared from Yan Shaoheng's sight.
"Master, aren't you going to give chase?" Cheng Ying, who was hiding in the shadows, finally spoke up.
Yan Shaoheng paused, his eyes tightly closed. "Never mind, let's talk about it in a few days."
Chen Jingshu couldn't help but sob.
She didn't even know how she got back.
She cried until late at night, her voice hoarse from crying on the cold bed, her face streaked with tears and her hair disheveled, but no one came.
The second day—
Chen Jingshu's eyes were swollen, and her already somewhat haggard face was even more bloodless.
She sat at the dressing table, tilted her head back, and felt a lump in her throat.
She touched the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
"This servant greets Your Highness."
Chen Jingshu glanced at her; she was slender and young. Her bright, clear eyes held a hint of a smile.
She wore a white linen dress with a branch-print pattern, and exuded a faint fragrance of cherry blossoms.
What's your name?
“Your Highness, I have no name. The Prince said that you will be my master from now on. Please grant me a name, Your Highness.”
Her delicate, petite face, cherry lips, and exquisite nose struck Chen Jingshu as unusually striking.
Snap—
She raised her hand and slapped the maid hard across the face.
The maid's breath hitched, completely unaware of what she had done wrong, yet she felt a chill run through her from head to toe.
She knelt on the ground, her body trembling violently, "Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Highness, spare my life!"
"Forgive me? Forgive me for what? What crime have I committed?"
The slap mark on the maid's face became increasingly clear, but Chen Jingshu laughed instead of getting angry.
Cold sweat rolled down her forehead, the maid's face was deathly pale, and her mind went blank.
Chen Jingshu knew, of course, that she didn't know exactly where she had gone wrong.
She was simply jealous of the maid's young and delicate face.
"This servant...this servant doesn't know..."
"You don't know? You keep saying I'm your master, but you keep calling me 'Your Highness.' Do you want the Prince to take you as a concubine?"
Chen Jingshu coldly rebuked her, her sharp eyes fixed on her.
The maid's head slammed heavily against the ground until blood streamed down her forehead.
"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare."
Chen Jingshu lifted her chin and examined her closely. "The peach and plum are indescribable. Hmm, it's quite nice. Let's call it the Peach."
After turning around, she picked up a handkerchief from the table and wiped her hands, which had just touched the maid, her eyes filled with disgust.
Seeing that the maid had not yet expressed her gratitude, Chen Jingshu remained calm and composed, her cold voice filling the maid's ears, "What? You don't want to?"
Fang Tao then realized what was happening, her heart pounding in her throat. "This servant dares not accept such a name, thank you for bestowing it upon me, Your Highness."
"Let's have our meal. Come with me for a bit later."
She wiped her sweat with her white cloth sleeve and swallowed hard, feeling a bit of lingering fear.
"Yes, Your Highness, I will take care of it right away."
Fang Tao served Chen Jingshu breakfast with trepidation and then accompanied her out of the palace.
A magnificent and luxurious carriage arrived with a gust of wind and stopped in front of the Linglong Pavilion.
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